


Frozen Hearts

by thetalesofmooseandsquirrel



Series: Frozen Hearts [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10173968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetalesofmooseandsquirrel/pseuds/thetalesofmooseandsquirrel
Summary: A friend he never knew he had, now forgotten with his past.A man she knew and never forgot, kept forever in her thoughts.A threat that’s old and new.Will they be able to save the each other from the evil inside and their Frozen Hearts?





	1. Chapter 1

****

**June 14 th, 1942  
** **Stark Expo  
** **Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City, New York**

Wandering around the enlistment booth you tried to figure out how long you were going to be required to stick around listening in to other people’s conversations this evening. Since the start of Howard’s Expo, it’d been ‘til closing every night.

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard a handsome young Sargent already in uniform arguing with a much smaller blonde man. Pretending to be engrossed with the recruitment poster in front of you, you shamelessly listened in to their not so hushed conversation.

“You really gonna do this again?” The handsome brunet was obviously pissed at the blonde for some reason.

“Well, it’s a fair. I’m gonna try my luck.”

“As who? Steve from Ohio? They’ll catch you. Or worse, they’ll actually take you.”

They were clearly pissed at each other but only because they cared. “Look, I know you don’t think I can do this.”

“This isn’t a back alley, Steve. It’s a war!”

“I know it’s a war. You don’t have to tell me.”

“Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs.”

“What am I gonna do? Collect scrap metal…”

“Yes!”

“…in my little red wagon.” At the red wagon comment you had to hold back laugh, lest you be caught in listening.

“Why not?”

“I’m not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky.” The blonde, Steve, you supposed, gave the solider a small shove, “Bucky, come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.”

“Right. Cause you got nothing to prove.” There seemed to be some sort of age old unspoken underlining argument. “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”

Steve called out to Bucky as he walked to some girls eagerly waiting for him. “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

“You’re a punk.” Bucky quickly came back and gave Steve one final hug.

Returning the hug, Steve gave him some final admonishments, “Jerk. Be careful. Don’t win the war till I get there!”

Bucky offered a final salute then walked away.

Turning away you quickly made your away to the medical examination area to find Dr. Abraham Erskine. Once you found him you explained the conversation you’d just overheard and how the blonde, Steve, was coming to enlist.

Acting on the doctor’s instructions you quickly sent an MP to Steve’s exam room, then slipped in unnoticed to watch the blondes’ reaction. You continued to go unseen as you observed Dr. Erskine introducing himself to Steve, and handing the file in his hands so you could review it as well. He then asked your favorite question for any candidate of Project Rebirth. “So, you want to kill Nazis?”, before Steve could introduce even introduce himself.

Steve’s first question surprised you both. “Where are you from?”

You answered before Abraham could, “Queens. 73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany. This troubles you?” When he answered in the negative you continued with your questioning. “Where are you from Mr. Rogers? Mmm? Is it New Haven? Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities.”

Steve squirmed in discomfort, “That might not be the right file.”

Erskine stepped in before you could. “No, it’s not the exams we’re interested in. It’s the five tries. But you didn’t answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis?”

“Is this a test?” Steve looked down at his feet, almost looking shy.

“Yes.”

“I don’t wanna kill anyone.” He looked up with a resolute look on his face. “I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from.”

“Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is the little guy, huh? I can offer you a chance.”

You all exited the room and approached the table where the stamps were. Opening the folder, you found the correct paper and laid it out on the bench, and gave Steve a small smile. “Only a chance.”

Steve returned the smile “I’ll take it.”

“Good. So where is the little guy from actually?”

“Brooklyn.”

Remembering all the time you’ve recently spent in Brooklyn with Howard working on the project your smile got larger and you failed to notice the large smile on Rogers face when he received his paperwork, this time finally stamped 1A.

* * *

**June 21 st, 1943  
** Camp Lehigh, Strategic Scientific Reserve /United States Armed Forces  
Wheaton, New Jersey 

Slipping into the empty barracks you gave Steve a small smile, he returned it. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Just one?”

Looking more serious than you’d possibly ever seen him before he asked, “why me?”

Letting out a sigh you set down the bottle and glasses you’d carried in and sat across from him. “I suppose that is the only question that matters. So many people forget that the first country that the Nazi’s invaded was their own. You know, after the last war the…my people struggled. They…they felt weak. They felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags and the…and the…” Waving your arms around you couldn’t figure out how to articulate the horror you had seen.

Did you didn’t get another word out before Dr. Erskine continued your story. “And he…he hears of me, my work and he finds me. And he says, you…he says you will us strong. Well, I am not interested. So he sends the head of Hydra, his research division. A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt. Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle and he’s ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for a cult power and Teutonic myth. Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers.” Taking the doctor by the hand you lead him over to a seat and poured him a drink. “But for Schmidt it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power in the earth, left there by the Gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man.”

Steve let you both sit in remembrance for a moment before quietly asking, “Did it make him stronger?”

You answered for the doctor since he was still lost in memory. “Yeah. But, there were other effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So, good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. This, is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion.

“Thanks. I think.”

“Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise us one thing.” You took Dr. Erskine’s drink and topped it off. “That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

Steve held up his glass to toast

“To the little guys.”, but just as Steve was about to drink from his glass Dr. Erskine cut in. “No! No! Wait! Wait! What I am doing? No! You have a procedure tomorrow. No fluids.”

Abraham took Steve’s glass for his own, “all right. We’ll drink it after.”

“No! I don’t have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after? Drink it now!” Sharing a laugh,  you and the good doctor shared one last drink for the evening.

* * *

**June 22 nd, 1943  
** Strategic Scientific Reserve Brooklyn Facility  
Brooklyn, New York City, New York 

Not even three weeks after recruiting Steve Rogers and the day was here. Time to test the labor of the last two years of yours, Dr. Erskine’s, and Howard’s lives.

Having been in the lab since the pre-dawn hours with Howard going over every piece of machinery and step of the procedure you happily took a long draw of the perfectly made coffee Howard had brought over to you. Trying to contain the excitement that was threatening to bubble up to the surface you watched Peggy and Steve walk into the procedure room.

From there everything happened pretty quickly. You acted as nurse and finished prepping Steve for the procedure, while Dr. Erskine address the group that had gathered in the overlook. “Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

A soft smile was on your face before you could even think about removing it. “That was penicillin, the next part is where it’s going to hurt.”

Dr. Erskine continued his presentation as you and the other nurse inserted the tubes of serum into the machine. “We begin with a series of micro injections into the subjects’ major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. And then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with vita rays.”

You knocked on the capsule after they’d locked Steve in for the Vita Ray saturation. “Steven, can you hear me?”

“It’s probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?”

With a nod of your head Howard turned on the machine and started counting out percentages, around sixty percent Steve’s screams were nearly unbearable. And people shouting over each other.

Dr. Erskine’s “Steven!” was drowned out by Peggy “Shut it down!”

Then Howard with “Eighty percent.”

Frozen in indecision you didn’t know what to do, you only stood there and listened to Dr. Erskine yell. “Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark! Kill the reactor!”

Then Steve’s voice joined the group “No! Don’t! I can do this!”

Once you heard that, you ran over to the dial by Howard and cranked it up to one hundred percent. Only the hum of the machinery could be heard then the power dimmed. Once it came back up Howard killed the Vita Rays and hit the button to open the capsule.

The room was silent as the doors retracted, to reveal a what looked like a new man. Peggy was soon at your side and the first to address Steve. “How do you feel?”

“Taller.” There was Steve, his smile still the same.

Peggy let out a watery chuckle, “You look taller.” The moment was interrupted by the sound of multiple gunshots quickly followed someone crying out behind you. Turning around you saw Dr. Erskine on the ground, racing to his side you tried to remember the basic first aid that Howard had taught you.

Steve was by your side in an instant, when Erskine saw he waved Steve closer and whispered. “Pflege für mein Erbe.”

Steve looked at you with confusion but you just shrugged and pulled Erskine closer, his every breath getting fainter. When the doctor said nothing further, Steve got up and went after the man who had taken the shots. Within minutes he was dragging the man back in.

Steve threw the man on the ground and demanded, “Who the hell are you?”

The man glared back and his mouth made a horrible cracking sound. “The first of many. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail Hydra!” By the end of his words he was foaming at the mouth and within a few short moments, dead.

In a state of shock, you continued to cradle Dr. Erskine’s dead body in your arms, tears slowly trekking down your cheeks as you softly whispered 'Vati' over and over and over again to yourself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend he never knew he had, now forgotten with his past.  
> A man she knew and never forgot, kept forever in her thoughts.  
> A threat that’s old and new.  
> Will they be able to save the each other from the evil inside and their Frozen Hearts?

* * *

**November 11 th, 1940  
Schutzstaffel Obergruppenführer, Johann Schmidt, HYDRA-Abteuilung Headquarters  
Castle Kaufmann, Bavarian Alps, Germany**

“Herr Schmidt, I cannot administer the serum, it is not ready.”

“You will give me the serum Doktor Erskine or Fräulein Klein will die.” You quaked in fear at hearing Herr Schmidt say your name, over your stay at the Festung you’d learned to stay as far away from him as possible.

Unfortunately, for you, weren’t able to avoid him that often despite your, at times, friable health. But at least you weren’t with Frau Erskine und die Kinder. And now here it was over five years later, since the family’s escape attempt in September of ’35, and you doubted that they were still alive. Just the idea of being held captive for five years by Herr Schmidt with a constant threat being made to the lives of your family made your stay at Castle Kaufmann seem almost unassumingly generous. The only threats issued to you was against your own life, along with many cryptic comments about you not being an orphan.

A strong grip on your arm brought you back to the present as you were dragged across the room to stand in front of Doktor Erskine. A gun was pressed to your head, “These are your choices Doktor: give me the serum or the girl will die.” The gun was moved away from your skull and pressed into Erskine’s shaking hand by a guard. With the help of another guard he was dragged in front of your trembling form, arm forced up until the gun barrel was pointed between right between your eyes.

“I won’t do either.” He tried to sound strong but everyone could hear the quiver of fear underneath the bravado.

Schmidt laughed, a sound riddled with mania, causing even greater unease to crawl up your spine. “That’s where you are wrong, Doktor. You will either give me the serum or kill your Tochter. No other choice is available to you.”

Catching Doktor Erskine’s gaze you were shattered to see that this was not news to him. That he’d known, before either of you could react, cold metal was ground against the skin and bone of your forehead.

“This is your last chance Doktor Erskine. You must choose now: share with me the serum or Das Mädchen stirbt, right now, by your hand; Die Hand ihres Vaters

You tried to tell the Doktor ‘no’ with your eyes but he just gave you an apologetic look before glaring at Herr Schmidt. “I’ll give you the serum, but heed my warning. It is not ready.”

“That has been your excuse for far too long, Erskine. Doktor Zola has looked at your research and says it is ready for human experimentation. So, you will administer the serum.”

“I need to go down to my lab to mix a fresh batch of serum.” Straightening his shoulders his next words came out more of a statement then a plea. “It will be completed faster if Fräulein Klein assists me.”

“Nein. You will use the Formel von gestern Prüfung. I will not have you try to poison me to rescue Fräulein Rose. Is that understood, Abraham?”

The Doktor hung his head in defeat and muttered a quiet “Ja, Herr Schmidt.” before being escorted out of the room.

* * *

**November 12 th, 1940  
Schutzstaffel Obergruppenführer, Johann Schmidt, HYDRA-Abteuilung Headquarters  
Castle Kaufmann, Bavarian Alps, Germany**

You spent the day huddled together with Doktor Erskine in the dungeon listening to Herr Schmidt scream and the sound of crashing furniture. The scrape of a key in the lock brought you both to your feet and pulling yourselves as close to the door as your chains would allow.

When you saw, who was at the door, you shrank back in fear of Arnim Zola. Part of the fear was not being able to articulate what it is about the man that bothers you so much.

“Herr Erskine, it is pure pleasure to finally see you in your proper place. Ihr Super-Soldat-Experiment war ein Scheitern von spektakulären Proportionen. Danke für den Herrn Erskin.” Rubbing his hands together he took his time looking you up and down. “Now that you are out of Mein Weg, I can finally prove technological alternatives to Herr Schmidt. And you Herr Erskine, you and the Mädchen will be sentenced to death. As will your family.”

Abraham’s rebuttal was drowned out by a roar of absolute rage and the frightened scream of a woman.

* * *

**November 13 th, 1940  
Schutzstaffel Obergruppenführer, Johann Schmidt, HYDRA-Abteuilung Headquarters  
Castle Kaufmann, Bavarian Alps, Germany**

The last hour had been filled with a disconcerting stillness throughout the entire castle. Not knowing what else to do you once again huddled with Doktor Erskine against the dungeon wall. After another hour of silence the door leading into the darkness of your new quarters noisily opened followed by almost undetectable footsteps.

“Get up, someone is coming.” Turning to the slumped figure next to you, you tried to get him up on his feet only to get no response. Leaving him leaning against the wall, you went as close to the door as you could to see if you could see who was coming.

“Eva?” The maid had only joined the household weeks before.

“It’s actually Agent Peggy Carter, MI5 attaché to the American Strategic Scientific Reserve.” The crisp British accent was significantly different than the quiet Slavic accent you’d come to associate with the shy maid Eva.

“What is a MI5 agent doing in Bayern?” You were surprised to hear Doktor Erskine’s voice, you hadn’t heard him move.

Agent Carter had started working on the cell door lock, and barely spared any time to send you both an exasperated look. “Obviously, I’m here to rescue you, Doctor.”

“I thank you for the offer Frau Carter, but I’m afraid for the safety of my family I cannot leave.”

Carter opened the door and approached you both, one look at her face and you knew your suspicions were correct. “Doctor I sincerely wish that I had time to find a gentler way to tell this. Your Greta, Klaus and Marlene are dead, they died of typhoid during an outbreak at Dachau. Schmidt has been holding an empty threat over your head for nearly three years.”

Neither you nor Agent Carter were fast enough to catch him as he crumpled to the floor in grief. “Mein Leibling Greta…Was habe ich dir und unseren Kindern gemacht? Mein Stolz hat dich getötet.” There were tears rolling down his face and his voice sound choked by them. “Mein Glaube an meine eigene Unfehlbarkeit und Gelehrsamkeit..”

You looked to Agent Carter to see if she had anything more to say, maybe had any shred of hope to offer. Where you saw that she had none you decided to try and help your mentor. “Abraham, this means you can escape, leave this hell you’ve been living for the past five years.”

That caught his attention, “not without you Rose. You know you’re like a Tochter to me.”

You gave him a sad smile, then reached your hand out to Agent Carter for the lock picks still in her hand.

She handed them over and once again gave the good doctor bad news. “I’m afraid that’s not an option, the escape plan is only viable for the release of one hostage.”

“Then I’m not going, take Rose instead. She knows nearly as much about my research as I do.” Carter merely raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s what you want from me isn’t it? My serum.”

“That is true, but we won’t be able to defeat HYDRA with someone who knows ‘nearly as much about your research’. We need you doctor. Take your serum to the Allies, where it can be turned against HYDRA.”

“Not without Rose. My one condition.”

* * *

**June 23 rd, 1943  
Strategic Scientific Reserve Facility  
New York City, New York**

Rolling down his sleeve Steve looked wearily at the sheer amount of blood you’d just finished drawing. “Think you got enough?”

Stripping off your gloves you started prepping the blood samples for travel. “Any hope of reproducing a program is locked in your genetic code.” Your accent was stronger today, “without Dr. Erskine it will take years.”

“He deserved more than this.”

Stepping into the room Peggy tried to offer what comfort she could. “If it could only work once, he’d be proud it was you.”

Looking lost for the first time since you meet him Steve asked. “What did that man mean by ‘Hail, HYDRA?”

You chose to answer, since you had firsthand experience with them. “HYDRA is the Nazi deep science division. It’s led by Herr Johann Schmidt also known as roter Schädel. But he has much bigger ambitions.”

Colonel Chester Phillips stepped into the room and gestured for you all to follow him.  “HYDRA’s practically a cult. They worship Schmidt, they think he’s invincible.”

Senator Brandt, the politician behind Project Rebirth looked horrified. “So, what are you gonna do about it?”

Colonel Phillips tone was dismissive of the other man, “spoke to the president this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked.”

“Colonel?”

“We are taking the fight to HYDRA. Pack your bags Agent Carter. You too, Stark. You’re flying to London tonight.”

“Sir, what does that mean for me?”

Howard placed his hand on your shoulder in reassurance, “you’re coming with me, Rose. You’re brilliant and there’s no one else I’d rather have by my side.” While you knew, he had alternative motives to bringing you along, you gave him a warm smile and tried to convey your silent thanks for not being sent to some work in some lab, or even worse shoved out into a purposeless life in society.

Steve took a step forward addressing the colonel. “Sir, if you’re going after Schmidt, I want in.”

Phillips looked unimpressed. “You’re an experiment. You’re going to Alamogordo.”

The stubbornness you’d come to associate with the basic makeup of Steve himself, made itself immediately evident in the set of his shoulders. “The serum worked.”

“And I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough.”

Before more could be said from either man, the senator stepped forward. “Son, do you wanna serve your country on the most important battle field of the war?”

Steve looked earnest, “sir, that’s all I want.”

“Then, congratulations. You just got promoted.”

The senator’s aid started to herd Steve out of the facility, but you grabbed his arm and pulled him aside before they got too far. “Steve, don’t do this.”

“Rose, what do you mean? Senator Brandt is offering me a chance to make a difference, to serve my country.”

“Do you even have any idea what it is he’s going to ask you to do? He might have you bopping your way across a stage until you’re going to be thinking that it may be better to just buy the farm! What good will all the sacrifices that were made to give you this opportunity be worth then?”

“I’m not gonna let him turn me into a hoofer, plus this has to be better than being canned up in some lab being poked all day.”

“And you think they wouldn’t do the same to me if they knew they truth?” Realizing what you said you turned away, only to have Steve spin you back around to face him.

“What do you mean, Rose?”

Thoughts ran through your mind and the only answer you were able to get out was, “Fick!  Warum zum Teufel hast du das sagen, Rose? Du weiß, dass du nicht sagen, dass.”


End file.
